Celebrating a memorable event in ones life is pretty well celebrated by getting a tattoo, but there are disadvantages in this. For one thing, tattoos are darned expensive, and the second thing is having to constantly explain the meaning of an inking that means the earth to you, but is completely lost on anybody else. So, not wanting to have a Mercedes badge inked on me for all eternity, I chose to mark the end of my indirect employment by the brand with the obtainment of a model car instead.
Another influencing factor in my choice was the price. At the recent (although I’m not sure we’ve mentioned it on here, preferring to stay low-key on the subject) Goodwood Festival of Speed, German model outlet CK-Modelcars happened to have a stall in the retail area. They also had a small stack of these for sale for a princely £25 each. Or about £100 less than any size of tattoo worth having.


I had been working for a Mercedes-Benz dealership since January 2008, so I really liked the idea of having something in my collection which I would one day look at and remember the events that led to its purchase, so I leapt at it. It’s a Norev model, and it’s a dealer edition, presented in the packaging that would sell through Mercedes accessories outlets and bearing a Mercedes part number.
It’s an excellent model, on which I’ve only found two flaws, both of which can be seen in the doors. If you look very carefully when the sun hits it you’ll see that both doors are ever so slightly miss-cast, with a small hollow in the surface of each of them which makes them appear to have sustained a dent. Otherwise the proportions of the model are spot on, the casting is precise and the door shuts are even and tight.

The minute detail on the exterior of the model is outstanding, not least the wheels and their brakes. The wheels themselves have been moulded with enough precision to include the AMG monogram embossed into the rim, and are painted in the correct two shades of grey. The ventilated discs rotate with the wheels, and are partially obscured by superbly reproduced brake callipers. The tyres aren’t branded though, which is a shame.
Otherwise the headlamps and all other light fittings are well represented, and the front grille is perforated with a view through to the various front radiators. All emblems are also well applied.

The fact that the scene under the bonnet is portrayed by a moulded plastic plate with little depth to it is disappointing before you remind yourself that the engine bay in the 1:1 vehicle is barely any more interesting to behold.
Some effort has gone into simulating the carbon-fibre that the engine is surrounded by, though. Which is nice.

The cabin is extremely well done, with fairly realistic flocking to simulate carpeting in the footwells, colours which look like the actual materials used by Mercedes rather than just beige plastic injection-mouldings, and correctly observed gauges and switchgear.
Nothing much to fault here, and the trunk is flock-lined, too.

iecA removable roof is supplied to simulate the look of a raised convertible top, and I think it looks great when fitted.
I know the AMG SLS Roadster is about as far outside the normal Hooniverse scope as we ever go, but this little strand is all about discussing the worth and the reasoning behind model car collecting, and I doubt that any 1:18 addict will have much reason to be disappointed by this one.
(All images Chris Haining / Hooniverse 2016)